Managing Router

Startup and
Configuration

Network Environment Management

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-1

Cisco IOS
Cisco technology is built around the Cisco
Internetwork Operating System (IOS), which is
the software that controls the routing and
switching functions of internetworking devices.
A solid understanding of the IOS is essential for
a network administrator.

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-2

The Purpose of Cisco IOS

As with a computer, a router or switch cannot function without an

operating system. Cisco calls its operating system the Cisco
Internetwork Operating System or Cisco IOS.

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-3

Introduction to Routers
A router is a special type of computer. It has the same basic components as a
standard desktop PC. However, routers are designed to perform some very specific
functions. Just as computers need operating systems to run software applications,
routers need the Internetwork Operating System software (IOS) to run configuration
files. These configuration files contain the instructions and parameters that control
the flow of traffic in and out of the routers. The many parts of a router are shown
below:

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-4

Router Memory Components

ROM

- Read Only Memory

Bootstrap/POST

FLASH Memory-

IOS Images are kept here

- Erasable reprogrammable ROM
- Contents are kept on Power down or

reload

RAM

- Random Access memory

- Routing Tables
- Running Configuration
- Contents are lost on reboot

NVRAM
2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-Volatile RAM
- Start up configuration
- Configuration Register

ICND1 v1.06-5

Router Power-On Boot Sequence

1. Perform power-on self-test (POST).
2. Load and run bootstrap code.
3. Find and Load the Cisco IOS Software.
4. Find and Load the configuration.

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-6

Boot Sequence

1. Perform power-on self-test (POST).

Testing the hardware woking
2. Load Bootstrap from ROM memory
Responsibility load IOS from any resource
(TFTP server)

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-7

3a.Finding the Cisco IOS Image

Order of search:
1. Checks configuration register
2. Defaults to first file in flash memory
3. Attempts to boot from network server
4. ROMMON

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-8

3b.Configuration Register Values

L 1 dy 16 bit nm trn NVRAM ca Router
c biu th di dng s hexa. S 0x l biu th s hexa
Cc s hexa thng gp: 0x2100, 0x2102, 0x2142
Trng boot field :
-0: Rommon ( HH ph trn ROM)
-1: Flash TFTP server ROM
-2 n F (15): Boot system

If not enter Boot system command , default :

Flash TFTP server ROM

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-9

3c.Configuration Register Values

0x2100 : System bootstrap prompt (> or rommon>)
0x

0x2102 : Boot system from flash (Router>)

0x

0x2142 : Ignore start-up configuration, enter setup mode

0x

0 3: Boot field
6=1: Ignore NVRAM contents
6=0: Startup normal

11-12:Console line speed

13: Boot ROM if network boot fails
15: Diagnostic and ignore NVRAM

Router(config)# config-register
0x2102

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-10

3d.Finding the Cisco IOS Image

Order of search:

Checks configuration register

-0: Rommon> ( s dng h iu hnh ph / Rom)
-1: From Router 2600 and later, defaults to first file in
flash memory. If not find, next TFTP ROM
-2 F(15): Parses configuration for boot system
command
R(config)# boot system tftp: nameIOS.bin
R(config)# boot system flash: nameIOS2
+Defaults to first file in flash memory
+Attempts to boot from network server, TFTP server
+If still not find ROM
2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-11

3e.Loading the Cisco IOS Image from

Flash Memory

The flash memory file is decompressed and loaded into RAM.

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-12

4a.Loading the Configuration

Load and execute the configuration from NVRAM

If no startup-config file is present in NVRAM, TFTP server, enter
setup mode
2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-13

4b.Configuration Register Values

0x2100 : System bootstrap prompt (> or rommon>)
0x

0x2102 : Boot system from flash (Router>)

0x

0x2142 : Ignore start-up configuration, enter setup mode

0x

6=1: Ignore NVRAM contents

6=0: Startup normal

Router(config)# config-register
0x2142

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-14

Determining the Current Configuration

Register Value
Cisco IOS Software, 2800 Software (C2800NM-IPBASE-M), Version
12.4(5a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc3)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2006 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Sat 14-Jan-06 03:19 by alnguyen
ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 12.4(1r) [hqluong 1r], RELEASE
SOFTWARE (fc1)
RouterX uptime is 1 week, 5 days, 21 hours, 30 minutes
System returned to ROM by reload at 23:04:40 UTC Tue Mar 13 2007
System image file is "flash:c2800nm-ipbase-mz.124-5a.bin"
Cisco 2811 (revision 53.51) with 251904K/10240K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FTX1013A1DJ
2 FastEthernet interfaces
2 Serial(sync/async) interfaces
DRAM configuration is 64 bits wide with parity enabled.
239K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
62720K bytes of ATA CompactFlash (Read/Write)
Configuration register is 0x2102
2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-15

show version Command

Cisco IOS Software, 2800 Software (C2800NM-IPBASE-M), Version
12.4(5a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc3)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2006 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Sat 14-Jan-06 03:19 by alnguyen
ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 12.4(1r) [hqluong 1r], RELEASE
SOFTWARE (fc1)
RouterX uptime is 1 week, 5 days, 21 hours, 30 minutes
System returned to ROM by reload at 23:04:40 UTC Tue Mar 13 2007
System image file is "flash:c2800nm-ipbase-mz.124-5a.bin"
Cisco 2811 (revision 53.51) with 251904K/10240K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FTX1013A1DJ
2 FastEthernet interfaces
2 Serial(sync/async) interfaces
DRAM configuration is 64 bits wide with parity enabled.
239K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
62720K bytes of ATA CompactFlash (Read/Write)
Configuration register is 0x2102 (will be 2104 at next reload)
2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-16

show flash Command

RouterX#sh flash
-#- --length-- -----date/time-----1
14951648 Feb 22 2007 21:38:56
2
1823 Dec 14 2006 08:24:54
3
4734464 Dec 14 2006 08:25:24
4
833024 Dec 14 2006 08:25:38
5
1052160 Dec 14 2006 08:25:54
6
1038 Dec 14 2006 08:26:08
7
102400 Dec 14 2006 08:26:22
8
491213 Dec 14 2006 08:26:40

path
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00
+00:00

c2800nm-ipbase-mz.124-5a.bin
sdmconfig-2811.cfg
sdm.tar
es.tar
common.tar
home.shtml
home.tar
128MB.sdf

41836544 bytes available (22179840 bytes used)

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-17

Summary
When a router boots, it performs tests, finds, and loads software, finds
and loads configurations, and finally runs the software.
The major internal components of a router include RAM, ROM, flash
memory, NVRAM, and the configuration register.
When a router boots, it searches for the Cisco IOS Software image in a
specific sequence: location specified in the configuration register, flash
memory, a TFTP server,
and ROM.
The configuration register includes boot information specifying where to
locate the Cisco IOS Software image. The register can be examined with
a show command and change the register value with the configregister global configuration command.

2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-18

 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

ICND1 v1.06-19